THE trio of Julien Alfred, Mechaela Hyacinth and Rueben Nichols all with international experience at the youth level will head Saint Lucia’s team named at the weekend for this year’s CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas from March 30 to April 2.
Alfred, who is the resigning Commonwealth Youth Games 2017, 100 metres girls champion will return to the same venue where she created history by winning the gold medal for Saint Lucia, the first by a Saint Lucian track athlete. Alfred heads the list in the under – 20 girls announced by the Saint Lucia Athletic Association.
She will compete in the 100 metres and 4×100 metres relay.
Keeping a close eye on a podium finish is Mechaela Hyacinth; she represented Saint Lucia in 2015 at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Columbia, Mechaela finished 3rd in Heat 7 with a personal best time of 11.93 seconds in Heat 3 that qualified her for the semifinal round; she went on to obtain another personal best time of 11.87 seconds to finish 5th in Heat 1.
At this year’s CARIFTA Games she will compete in the 100 meters and 4×100 metres relay (female under -20).
Currently attending college in Jamaica, 400 metres runner Reuben Nichols will want nothing less than a piece of silverware at this year’s championship, he last represented Saint Lucia at the IAAF World Under – 18 Championship in Nairobi, Kenya; Reuben finished 4th in Heat 3 with a time of 49.22 seconds that qualified him to compete in the semifinal where he finished 5th in Heat 3 with a personal best time of 48.01 seconds.
At this year’s CARIFTA Games Nichols will be going guns- a- blaze in the 400 metres for under -20 boys.
The reminder of the squad reads – Lizzie Alexander – 100 metres (season best 12.13 seconds), Zoe Dorville – 100 metres , 200 metres (season best 12.13 seconds/24.83 seconds) , NebiaMontrope – 800 metres, 1500 metres (season best – 5 minutes 03.97 seconds), Lilyanna Sylvester – 1500 metres (season best – 5 minutes 04.69 seconds, (female under -17).
Asa Francis – 800 metres, 1500 metres (season best – 2 minutes 00.50 seconds) (male – under -17).
Kimani Alphone – 200 metres, 400 metres, 4×100 metres (season best – 24.42 seconds/ 56.95 seconds), DyetteDejerel – 200 metes, 4×100 metres (female under -20).
Armani Modeste – 200 metres (season best – 21.69 seconds), Shelton St. Rose – 100 metres, 200 metres (season best – 10.74 seconds), Taric Xavier – 1500 metres, 3000 metres (season best – 4 minutes 18.19 seconds/ 17 minutes 02.20 seconds) (male under – 20).
Lilyanna Sylvester – 3000 metres (female open).
Jean – Claude Auguste – Octathlon (season best 4306 points) (male open).
Saint Lucia’s 15 -member squad along with 2 officials will depart on Wednesday 28. In the Bahamas, the team will be under the watchful eyes of Coach – MakebaAlcide (female) and Claude Charlemagne (male). There is no word yet as to who will lead the delegation to the Bahamas.
Saint Lucia last medaled at the games when it was held in Saint Kitts at the Kim Collins Track and Field Stadium in 2015, but failed to show slate in Grenada (2016) and Curacao (2017).
Jamaica top the medal table in Curacao last year with 39 gold, 28 silver 19 bronze (86) followed by Trinidad and Tobago – 7 gold, 5 silver, 10 bronze (22), the Bahamas – 6 gold, 15 silver, 10 bronze (31) round off the top three, while host Curacao 7th with 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze (4).
